Author: Lisa Mungovan

Grasshoppers are common in Texas, but Dirk Parker found a very special variety. The grasshopper, was pink. He did some research, and found it had a rare condition, called erythrism. Most grasshoppers are brown or green, to blend in with their surroundings, and avoid predators. Pinky would make an easy target, so he’s now Dirk’s pet.

When teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg started protesting every week with her Fridays For Future strikes, she did it alone. Now, she’s joined by millions of people around the world. Today, the Global Climate Strike takes place, as kids in every country demand action, to protect the Earth from climate change.

Whether you climb to the top of the highest mountain, or dive to the bottom of the deepest ocean, you’ll find plastic. Now, scientists have discovered plastic dust, is even in our blood. Microplastics like those found in water bottles or styrofoam, were found in many blood samples. Plastic is everywhere.

Today is Tolkien Reading Day. Settle down with Lord of the Rings, or The Hobbit, by JRR Tolkien. Since Hobbits love to eat, enjoy a stack of waffles while you read! It’s also Waffle Day, as well as Pecan Day. Whether you say pea-can or puh-khan, the nut is delicious, especially in waffles!

Scientists are studying the possibilities of using mussels, to get rid of microplastics. That’s not muscles as in strong arms, but as in the clam-like shellfish. Mussels can filter the tiniest pieces of plastic from the ocean, without any harm to themselves. After eating microplastics mixed with plankton, they excrete droppings suitable for biofuel.

Have you ever seen a swarm of bees, just hanging out in a big clump? They were probably looking for a new home. When a hive gets too many bees, they make another queen, and create a second colony. If you see a bee swarm, call a beekeeper. They’ll happily give them a home!

Spring has sprung, and beautiful flowers are blooming. They’re lovely to look at, but did you know many flowers are also edible? Try making lilac, violet, or dandelion jelly. Turn forsythia, into a delicious syrup. Clover and lavender make tasty teas. Or pick some redbud flowers off a tree, and just eat them.

Electric boats have not been as successful as electric cars, because it takes more energy to push through water, than to push through air. A new electric hydrofoil boat, solves that problem. The foils on the Candela C-8 speed boat, lift the boat into the air, leaving no pollution, fuel leaks, noise, or wakes.

Raisinets have been around since 1927. Every hour, more than 1,000,000 of the chocolate-coated raisins are produced. How many do you think you could eat in an hour? Today is Chocolate Covered Raisin Day, so indulge yourself! You can pretend they’re a healthy snack. After all, they are full of fruit!

A section of a street in London England, is closed for toadwork. It’s been blocked for 3 weeks, to allow an annual migration of toads, to cross safely. Volunteers from a charity called Froglife, act as toad patrols, making sure toads can hop across the road to breeding ponds, without getting squished.